Sorvino’s “Oh God” performance is what propelled Scorsese to cast him as Brooklyn crime family head Paulie Cicero in the now-iconic “Goodfellas,” which propelled Sorvino to greater heights as a working actor. The filmmaker opened up further about what it was like to collaborate with the supporting actor in the beloved 1990 mobster feature in his statement.
“I loved working with Paul on that picture,” the director added. “It wasn’t always easy, but that’s never the point to begin with. Paul was tireless — he never settled for less than a deeper emotional truth. I learned a lot from him. … I remember one day, I was doing a few takes with him on a scene and it wasn’t quite there. On about the third or fourth take, he said to me, ‘Come away from the monitor and watch me.’ That’s what I did, and I could see it right away. It was a great lesson.”
